Pope Calls for More Tolerance and Less Judgment
[Pope Calls for More Tolerance and Less Judgment
Proclaiming the Gospel Ministries]
"Pope Francis called for the church to be more tolerant and urged priests around
the world to be more accepting of gays and lesbians, divorced Catholics, and
other people living in what the church considers "irregular" situations.
"A pastor cannot feel that it is enough simply to
apply moral laws ... as if they were stones to throw at people's lives," Francis
writes in a sweeping paper outlining his stance on family matters. He urges more
common sense and less unthinking following of rules. "By thinking that
everything is black and white, we sometimes close off the way of grace and
growth," he writes.
He emphasizes that "unjust discrimination" against
gays and lesbians is unacceptable, and downplays the idea of "living in sin."
For those paying attention to Francis since he became Pope three years ago, his
"apostolic exhortation" is unlikely to come as a surprise. He calls much more
for tolerance and mercy than for judgment in the paper. The Pope tells priests
that they should make decisions appropriate to their local conditions. "Each
country or region ... can seek solutions better suited to its culture and
sensitive to its traditions and local needs," he writes in a possible effort to
satisfy both liberals and conservatives by decentralizing authority.
Read more."
Related:
Pope Francis Learns What Rick Warren,
Russell Moore,
N. T. Wright
Think about Marriage
The Christian is to judge righty (Pr 31:9). No one would expect that from a pope, of course (2 Pe 2:1). He needs a commitment now from his daughter harlots.